Jewelry



s. BARUCH June 2, 1959 JEWELRY Filed June 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR, SAMUEL BARUCH S. BARUCH June 2, 1959 JEWELRY Filed June 19, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR,

SAMUEL BARUCH A BY i 7 Tue;

' ATTORNEY Unite States JEWELRY Samuel Baruch, Flushing, NY.

Application June 19, 1956, Serial No. 592,289

9 Claims. (Cl. 24-41) The present invention relates to novel jewelry and more particularly to novel cuif link devices which can be used with great facility, provide enhanced cuff protection and which further provide a new decorative appearance.

More specifically, the invention provides an elongated cuff protector having a wedgeshaped lateral cross-section which is resiliently secured to the lower marginal edges of the cuff and held in place by an overlying relatively rigid member having a wedge-shaped cross-section which is sprung or longitudinally slid into position. The novel cuif link of the invention also enables the protection of the forward extremity of the lower marginal edges of the cuff, which is the point of greatest wear, and provides a new location for the wearing of jewelry.

An object of the invention is the provision of novel means for simultaneously protecting and securing together the lower marginal edges of a cuff.

Another object of the invention is the provision of novel means of attaching and releasing cuff links which protect the lower marginal edges of a cuff.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cuif link which can be used on any kind of cuff, regardless of whether the cuff is a conventional single cuff with button and button hole or a conventional double French cutf which is provided with openings which can be aligned for the insertion of a conventional cuff link.

' Still another object of the invention is the provision of a cuif link having different designs on each side thereof so that the cuff link may be used in a reversible manner.

Other and further objects of the invention will become apparent from the description which follows taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an assembled cuff link in accordance with the invention in operative association with the lower marginal edges of the cuff of a shirt sleeve;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an illustrative cuif protector constructed in accordance with the invention;

Fig. 3 is an end view of the cuff protector of Fig. 2 in place upon the lower marginal edges of a cuff;

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a relatively rigid memher which is intended to be slid upon the cuff protector of Fig. 2 after the same is in place as shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the assembled cuiflink after the relatively rigid member has been longitudinally slid in place upon the positioned cuff protector shown in Fig. 3;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a cuff protector intended to be applied to only one marginal edge of the cuff, it being understood that this form of cuff protector is intended to be used in pairs;

Fig. 7 is a cross-section taken through the assembled cuff link employing the cufi protector of Fig. 6;

v Fig. 8 is a perspective view of a cutf link assembly in which the cuff protector is only partly covered and is held in place by a securing member which can be sprung into place in the manner of a clip;

Fig. 9 is a perspective view showing the manner in which the guides of the cuff protector of Fig. 8 function to facilitate insertion of the lower margins of a cuff;

Fig. 10 is a bottom view of a modified form of overlying member in which the rear extremities of the side members are extended and flared to facilitate reception of the cuff protector; and

Fig. 11 is a perspective view showing a further modification of the overlying member for the purpose of facilitating reception of the cuff protector.

Referring to Fig. l, the general combination provided by the invention can be seen in perspective. More particularly, a shirt sleeve cuif 10, which may be a single or double cuff has its free lower marginal edges secured together by an elongated cuff link 11 which covers and protects the lower marginal edges of the cuff 10 and which is provided with a forward protective plate 12 which serves to protect the forward extremity of the lower marginal edges of the cuff 10 and also to provide a design plate for the reception of jewelry, e.g. a precious stone 13 may be suitably mounted upon the protecting plate 12. The elongated cutf link 11 overlies an inner cutf protecting member 14 and forces the same into engagement with the sides of the cuff It} to thereby maintain the cuff 10 in secured position upon thearm of the wearer.

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of an illustrative cuff protector constructed in accordance with the invention. The cutf protector 20 of Fig. 2 is constituted by two L-shaped side pieces 21 and 22 which are resiliently linked together in the manner. of a clip by means of the pivotal connection 23 and a suitable spring such as shown in Fig. 3 and identified by the numeral 24. The spring may be a simple helical spring held in position by the pin forming the pivotal connection 23 with the free ends of the spring being at the bottom of the cuff protector on the these extensions function as guides to facilitate insertion,

of the cuif 10 in the unopened cuif protector 20 or as handles to permit the side pieces 21 and 22 to be spread apart against the tension of the spring 24 and thereafter released after insertion of the cuff 10.

Fig. 4 illustrates a relatively rigid member which can be slid longitudinally upon the cutf protector of Fig. 2 to overlie the same after this cuff protector has been positioned upon the lower margins of a culf as shown in Fig. 3. It will be observed that the side flanges or pieces 21 and 22, when in their closed position, engage the outer surfaces of the cuff 10 and form, in cross-section, a wedge the base or widest portion of which is positioned beneath the lower edge of the cuff 10. The relatively rigid member of Fig. 4 is similarly wedge-shaped and is dimensioned so that, when the relatively rigid member 27 is slid longitudinally over the cuff protector 20 to place the member 27 in the position shown in Fig. 5, the upper portion of the side flanges or pieces 21 and 22 are squeezed together so that the outer surfaces of the cuff 10 are firmly grasped between the side members 21 and 22 or between the extensions 25 and 26 of the side members 21 and 22.

The member 27 is constituted by side members 28 and;

29 which are preferably formed integral with a bottom 30. A protective plate 31 is welded upon the forward extremity of the member 27 and serves the combined function of (1) protecting the lower forward extremity of the cuff 10, (2) providing a predetermined spacing between the side members 28 and 29 of the member 27, and (3) providing a decorative appearance.

Fig. 6 illustrates a further form of the invention in which each lower marginal edge of the cuff to be linked and protected is provided with a separate cuff protector 40, the cuff protector 40 being manifestly used in pairs. The cuff protector 40 is preferably formed as an integral clip member constituted by a bottom wall 41 and up wardly extending, upwardly tapering side walls 4-2 and 43 integral with the bottom wall 41. The side wall 43 is preferably provided with an upper extremity 44 which is curved inwardly of the cuff protector 40 and outwardly with respect to the cuff link considered as an entity in which the curved upper extremity 44 functions to flare the cuff outwardly away from the protecting cuff link to assist in holding the cuff 10 in a desirable smooth configuration, as can be seen in Fig. 7. In this respect the invention can be contrasted with a conventional cuff link where the cuff is pinched together by the link at a point remote from the lower marginal edges thereof.

Fig. 7 shows an assembled cuff link employing a pair of cuff protectors as shown in Fig. 6. More specifically,

each of the lower marginal edges of the cuff 10 are separately inserted in one of a pair of individual protectors 40. Insertion of the marginal edge of the cuff is facilitated by forming the outer side wall 42 with an upper outwardly flaring portion 45 which is positioned intermediate the height of the inside wall 43. When the cufi protectors 40 and 40' are positioned on the cuff 10, the protectors 40 and 40' are brought together in side by side relationship, as shown in Fig. 7 and a relatively rigid overlying member 50 is slid over the combined protectors 40 and 40 to form them into a single unit and to force the side walls 42 and 43 of the protectors 40 and 40 together to provide a secure engagement between the cuff protectors 40 and 40 and the lower marginal portions of the cuff 10.

More particularly, the relatively rigid overlying member 50 is provided with side walls 51 and 52 which are formed integral with a bottom wall 53. The side walls 51 and 52 are each formed with an inwardly projecting rib 54 which engages the outer side 42 of the cuff protectors 40 and 40'. The wedge cross-section of both the combined protectors 40 and 40 as well as the overlying member 50 can be well seen in Fig. 7 from which it will be apparent that the member 50 functions to provide cuff grasping pressure and also, when the cuff protector is used as a pair, as in the form shown in Fig. 6, the member 50 holds the pair of protectors together in linked relationship.

It will be apparent that the member 50 is comparable to the member 11 of Fig. l and the member 27 of Fig. 4 and is provided with a protective and decorative plate at its forward end, said plate being secured to the side walls 51 and 52 so that additional rigidity is imparted to the member 50. It will be observed that the additional rigidity imparted by the protective plate does not extend throughout the length of the overlying member so that a portion of the overlying member possesses the rigidity which is desirable to provide a firm grasp of the lower marginal edges of the cuff 10 while the rear portion of the overlying member, e.g. the portion remote from the protective plate possesses a lesser rigidity to facilitate reception of the cuff protectors.

A further form of the invention is shown in Figs. 8 and 9 where the cufi protector 60 is constituted by side members 61 and 62 which are formed integral with a bottom wall 63 and a protective plate 64 is secured to the forward open end of the wedge-shaped channel which is formed, as by welding.

Projecting upwardly from the side members 61 and 62 are curved extensions 65 and 66, the central portions of which come together to grasp the portions of the cuff 10 which are inserted within the trough formed by the side members 61 and 62. The insertion of the lower marginal portions of the cuff it) is facilitated by the upwardly projecting curved members 65 and 66 which function as guides as can be seen in Fig. 9. As will be evident, in the embodiment shown in Figs. 8 and 9, the cuff protector 60 itself constitutes the decorative element.

Figs. 8 and 9 also disclose an embodiment in which additional grasping force is achieved through the utilization of a clip member which is sprung in place. For this purpose, a clip 67 is provided having a lower wall 68 and side walls 69 which are integral with the lower Wall 68. Curved upper extensions 70 are formed integral with the side walls 69. The clip 67 may be constituted of metal having a heavier gauge than is used to form the cuff protector 60. Thus, after the cuff has been inserted as shown in Fig. 9, the clip 67 may he slipped into place from beneath the cuff protector 60. The final location of the clip 67 is shown in Fig. 8. To further facilitate a firm grasping of the cuff 10, the projections 65 and 66 may be formed with inwardly directed bosses 71 which grasp the outer surface of the cuff 10 when the projections 65 and 66 are forced together by the clip 67.

Fig. 10 discloses a modification of the invention facilitating insertion of a cuff protector such as shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 6 by a longitudinal sliding movement. More specifically, the overlying member 39 is formed with side members 81 and 32 formed integral with a bottom wall 83 and a protective plate 84 may be welded to the forward extremity of the overlying member 30, as is shown.

In the modification of Fig. 10, the bottom wall 83 is terminated, as indicated at 85, so that the rear extremities 86 and 87 of the side Walls 81 and 82 respectively extend beyond the termination 85 of the bottom wall 83. These rearwardly projecting portions 86 and 87 are then flared outwardly as is shown in Fig. 10 and the longitudinal sliding insertion of a cuff protector or a pair of cuff protectors, as in Fig. 7, is facilitated.

Fig. 11 discloses a further modification of the overlying member. More particularly, the overlying member 90 is formed with a body 91 of generally elliptical shape. The upper portion of the overlying member converges and then spreads apart as indicated by the outwardly flared upper extremities 94 and 95. A protective plate 96 may be welded to the forward extremity of the overlying member 90.

As can be seen in Fig. 11, the rear extremity of the elliptical body 91 is outwardly flared as indicated at 97 to facilitate sliding reception of the cuff protectors. Also, and to further facilitate reception of the cuff protectors and to insure an adequate compression of the protectors by the overlying member 96, the converged portion of the overlying member 90, immediately beneath the outwardly flared portions 94 and 95, may be non-uniform along the length of the overlying member. More specifically, the rear portion is widely spaced as indicated at 92, while the opening between the flared portions 94 and is reduced at the central portion 93 of the over lying member 96. As a result, the cuff protectors cannot only be more easily slid into the overlying member 90, but a very considerable compressive force is exerted by the overlying member at the region indicated by the numeral 93.

It is also desired to point out that the cuff links of the invention have an outside and an inside. Thus, the overlying member shown in Figs. 1, 4, '7, l0 and 11 and the cuff protectors of Figs. 8 and 9 may be decorated differently on each of their side walls. As a result, reversal .3 will switch the side of the cuff link which is more usually observed, e.g. the outside. Therefore, the cult links of the invention are decoratively reversible by simply switching the left cuff link to the right cufi and the right cufi link to the left cuff.

I claim:

1. A cuif link comprising a resilient, straight, elongated cufi protector having a bottom wall and a pair of upwardly converging sidewalls extending upwardly therefrom, said side walls and bottom wall forming a trough adapted to receive at least one lower marginal edge of a cuff, at least one of said side walls being provided with an upwardly extending outwardly flared portion adapted to guide said lower marginal edge of a cufi into said trough, a relatively rigid overlying member having a bottom wall, and a pair of upwardly converging side walls extending upwardly therefrom, said walls forming a trough having a forward end and a rear end, a transverse protective plate closing the forward end, said overlying member being dimensioned to slidingly receive said culf protector so that said overlying member will surround the same to bias the side 'Walls of the cufi protector into secure engagement with said cuff.

2. A cuff link as recited in claim 1 in which each of the side walls of said cuff protector is provided with an upwardly extending outwardly flared portion and said trough is dimensioned to receive both of the lower marginal edges of a cuff.

3. A cuff link as recited in claim 1 in which the side walls and bottom wall of said cufi protector are com stituted by a single integral member.

4. A cufi link as recited in claim 1 in which said side walls and bottom wall of said cuflf protector are constituted by a pair of L-shaped members pivotally connected at their lower ends and spring-biased to cause cuif protectors, each of said cuff protectors having a bot-* tom wall and a pair of upwardly converging side walls extending upwardly therefrom, one of said pair of side walls being an inner wall and the other of said pair of side walls being an outer wall, said side walls and bottom wall together forming a trough adapted to receive one lower marginal edge of a cuff, a relatively rigid overlying member having a bottom Wall and a pair of upwardly converging side walls extending upwardly therefrom, the side walls of said overlying member forming a trough having a forward end and a rear end, a transverse protective plate closing said forward end, said overlying member being dimensioned to slidingly receive said cufi protectors in side by side relationship, with said inner walls abutting, so that said overlying member will surround said pair of cult protectors to hold said cufi protectors in side by side relationship and bias the outer walls thereof against the inner walls thereof into secure engagement with each of the lower marginal edges of a cuff.

8. A cufl link as recited in claim 7 in which the inner wall of each of said cufi protectors is substantially planar and extends above the outer side wall and the upper extremity of said outer side wall is flared outwardly to facilitate reception of a lower marginal edge of a cufi.

9. A cufi link as recited in claim 1 in which said side walls and bottom wall of said cuff protector are com stituted by a pair of L-shaped members pivotally connected at their lower ends.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 55,064 Cook May 29, 1866 476,363 Burt June 7, 1892 743,617 Clark Nov. 10, 1903 879,955 Frank Feb. 25, 1908 1,059,790 Volmer Apr. 22, 1913 1,080,539 Conway Dec. 9, 1913 1,232,747 Yochim July 10, 1917 1,532,519 Sykes Apr. 7, 1925 1,590,682 Hart June 29, 1926 FOREIGN PATENTS 20,829 Great Britain 1912 110,540 Switzerland June 16, 1925 731,456 France May 30, 1932 

